Autobiography Of An Aloe Vera - Rishona Chopra

Hello, my dear friends! I am Aloe Vera. The most beautiful, most remarkable and kindest plant you have ever seen.

I have done many good deeds in my life with my best friend "Gel". I have healed several people. You might give credit to Gel, but who produced him? Me. Who motivated him? Me. Who supported him? Me. But I am very humble. I'll let you take credit, but we all know who really did the work.  

I have been healing you, humans, for centuries, but what do you do? You cut me in half and apply me on your sticky, dry, sweaty face. You don't care about the pain I go through. You just put me so you get a pretty face, but what on earth happened to my pretty face? And that, my friends, is my struggle in life. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Appreciation - Tenzin Jambey

Image courtesy Pestalozzi World website.

Regarding appreciation, the image of people clapping for you and words like thanks and thank you come into our minds. Almost every people appreciate others by saying thanks and thank you. Some people think that only getting the word of thanks from others is an application, but I don't think about it that way.

Regarding my application work, I have done numerous good jobs. Whenever I do any good job or something, I first appreciate myself because it doesn't bring me any sadness or down feeling because of not being appreciated for my good work by someone; we should be the first to enjoy ourselves if we do any kind of work. Doing an excellent job in the presence of someone can be seen, and others might praise you for that, but being yourself without anyone's presence is a different thing; at that moment, there is no one to clap for you, and that's the moment when we should pat on our back for doing a good job. We should be good and kind to all humans, but what about plants and animals? They, too, have the right to live a long peaceful life. Humans are taking so much from nature and animals; in return, we are doing nothing helpful but destroying, killing and taking their life.

We should be kind to the plants and all the animals around us; in the hostel, I have planted varieties of flowers and plants since I am so attached to nature and the environment, and sometimes I water them in the evening. When I see that the soil level is unequal, I add soil and organic fertilizer like cow dung and decomposed vegetable peals. After returning from my vacation, I found that the plants had dried, and some had even died. I felt sad about that as I cared for them with my heart, I watered them, and the next day I saw them growing again, which thrilled me. No one appreciated me, as none saw me doing that, but when I appreciated myself, I heard the soundless appreciation of my plants and flowers. As the wind blew, they began to move, and I imagined they were dancing and singing with joy because I had watered them after so long.

We must come out of the mindset that being only kind to a human does not bring us appreciation, we must equally respect our mother earth and all the components of nature like air, water, land, soil, fire and even the dumb stones that stays in a fixed position and says nothing but we use it for many purposes.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

The Bookshop is my happy place! - Bob

Hello, my dear friends! You would know me if you have ever visited the EBD Bookshop in Dehradun. After all, I am the main reason you come there. My name is Bob, and I am the cutest dog you will ever see. There came this girl in the Bookshop a few days ago, she called me a "soft toy". Now, that is sheer disrespect. I am very soft and sweet, but I am not a toy at all. In fact, I have a life of my own; I know how to talk and express my feelings. I know how to write and read; that is why I am in a bookshop in the first place. I am one of a kind. I love relaxing, calm, loud, and clear music. Oh please, don't be surprised; dogs have preferences too. 

Lately, I have been facing some back problems. Oh, how it hurts! I have to sit with a bent back and a sad face. I have been passing hints for a few days, but no one noticed until today.

One of the fellows at the Bookshop finally noticed my back pains, so they gave me the perfect remedy! They helped me stand up straight with the support of nothing else but a music system! Oh, how happy I was! And it was also my favourite colour, red! They fixed my problem and made me sit closest to the music system. The people are so caring and friendly. The Bookshop is indeed my happy place. Everything is perfect now, and I can relax again, enjoying the music and the bittersweet smell of coffee!

Bob 
EBD Bookshop Dehradun
( written by Rishona Chopra, School Captain My Good School)
Check out the bookshop https://englishbookdepot.com/

Appreciation - Rishona Chopra

Appreciation is to appreciate, as in to be grateful and thankful for something. 

Most of us have so much to appreciate, but we still take time to find mistakes and need to remember to embrace all the privileges we have and don't appreciate. There shall always be greed for more, but it's on us to know how to control it, appreciates what we have, avoids finding what we don't have and stop this greed for more.

Finding out mistakes is easier and more catchy to talk about. I faced this problem myself! Although I have a lot to appreciate, I used to find what I didn't have. I have worked on that mistake and have stopped complaining and enjoying what I have. It's a little tricky, but when you think about your home, good clothes, and education, most people might not even have you feeling happy and grateful for what you have. 

Apart from appreciating the little things in our life, appreciating someone can fill a heart with joy. It can motivate someone to work harder and strive for more. 

Just clapping for someone, giving them a thumbs up, or even smiling at their work can bring a smile to someone's face. 

Appreciation is also a vital quality. Appreciating the little efforts done by our peers and students is essential. We each have something special about us, and instead of thinking just about ourselves, we should take the time to appreciate others. Who understands that better than our teachers? Teachers take particular time enjoying, helping, and thinking about their students. And I am sure we all can appreciate our teachers for the time they took to think about us.

At the same time, Appreciation for others shows your modesty and humbleness. Instead of thinking about ourselves, we appreciate other person's efforts. Humility and Appreciation build a good relationship between peers, two base values of a healthy classroom. Values like cooperation and respect come in when we have the base of humility ready.

Rishona Chopra Grade VII Gyanshree School

Social Media - Aria Gupta

Wait! Don’t just ignore this article! I know that you’re thinking, Ugh, this is going to be so predictable; it’s going to be about addiction, fake news, mental health, and blah blah blah, but this article is not like that. Trust me, this will be interesting, so just read it. 

I recently watched a documentary called The Social Dilemma. It was about what social media actually does to us. You might think, "Social Media makes us addicted," but another problem is invisible to most people. It’s based on this saying: "If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product".

We all know that social media platforms (what we think are products), such as  Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, are free.

I was baffled, too, when I heard this saying. But social media is  actually just selling our attention to advertisers since advertisers are the ones who 

actually, pay.

These platforms’ algorithms can do anything to grab our attention. They know you like you’re their best friend. They know if you are sad, lonely, happy, angry, excited, or scared; they know exactly what you want when feeling any of those emotions. If you want private guitar lessons, they know you want them. If they don’t know, they learn. They will recommend all sorts of content they think you’ll like, and you’ll pick one. The problem with this system is that they’ll recommend content that might be incorrect or controversial, and you might pick one of them. This has huge effects, as it can divide societies. This might turn India from unity in diversity to a separate nation. The algorithm doesn’t care about what is true or false; it just wants more attention from people to sell to advertisers. They can manipulate us into believing anything; they can control entire elections. We’re just lab rats who are being experimented on.

After reading this, you might think, "Oh my god, social media is so bad, I’ll never use it again". This is not against social media completely; this article is just spreading awareness amongst them and you so they don’t accidentally destroy the world.

We can spread more awareness about this by telling more people about it and being mindful about it. We can demand change so that the world doesn’t collapse. Something terrible might happen if we keep ignoring this issue.

But Aria? How do you become the product if you’re not paying for it? I’m baffled.

Fine, Aria, we are the product. So what?

Aria Gupta
Grade VI
Gyanshree school

Love To Serve - Rishona Chopra

It is said that what we do comes back to us. Karma, as some of us would call it. A good act of kindness comes back to us. It may be true and correct, but it should not be our cause to do something good. We shouldn't give, help, care or be kind, just believing that we will do good so good will come to us.

The law of karma isn't something that can be fooled. It is just a power of the universe. It looks at the thought behind it and not just the action. 

When we give something, do we expect something in return? Well, I did, and I realised that when you give someone something - not an item but even an act of kindness and care, not many return the same to you, and we have to live with it. The only way to yet be happy is to first accept it and then know that your deed of kindness has helped somebody. 

When God blesses you financially, don't raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving. - Mark Batterson

It is true what Mark Batterson has said, we should give not only when we are rich in our everyday lives, we should raise our standard of giving, it may not be just giving money, even giving a toy to a person who needs it or a book is an act of giving too! 

A small act of giving could mean everything to a person. Giving not only makes the other person happy but also makes us happy. As said,' make others happy, and you will be satisfied the same way give and give, and you will feel better.

                                                                       ***
Do we have this life entirely for ourselves? Are we given this life just so we can enjoy and live happily? Well, we are absolutely nothing alone. One cannot be anything alone at all. Mahatma Gandhi alone did not defeat the British. Mother Teresa alone did not help the people. No one has ever accomplished anything alone because it is simply not possible. As brave and fascinating as doing something alone sounds, it isn't. We are all connected; we are all one. We say Unity in Diversity, but do we mean it from our hearts?

We may differ in colour, race, background, education, age, and height, but we are still the same. We are just one soul. 

So why do we believe that all our actions must be for ourselves? Can't it be for others? Will that do us any harm? 
To check, let us just list out what could happen. 

DEED: LOSS
I gave a child my pencil: I had another one
I helped someone tie their laces: No loss
I donated money to charity: I earned some more
Meeting my sick friend: No loss
Gave food to a homeless: Spent little money
Helped someone study: No loss
Complimenting someone and appreciating them: No loss
Sat with someone and listened to them: No loss

These are a few examples of deeds of giving. I may have lost money, pencils and a few more little things, but all these deeds made me happier and were defiantly worth it. These deeds may have taken out some of my time, but they all make me happier. 

What we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others lives on forever. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

A cause that is dear to me - Veda Varshita Marrivada

Reading the book with Jugjiv Sir

There can be many causes that can be important to us. A cause is a reason which affects an action. Everything in this world has a cause which can be good or bad. Especially humans have one or more causes in life. Grounds are compelling because they give us the power to question something and change our way of life.

I have many causes in life. It can relate to my family, work, academics, and being a good human. But there are three primary reasons in my life to live. They are:

1. My family
It is because of them that I am living. They make great sacrifices for us and help us in complicated situations. They guide us correctly and are ready to do anything for our happiness. They sometimes scold us, which makes us upset, but it's for our own good.
 
2. My work
I get easily engaged once it comes to work. It allows me to acquire loads of knowledge and increase my creativity. Also, it gives me peace of mind and the feeling that I am a busy adult.
 
3. To know "THE VALUE OF LIFE"
If we don't understand the value of life, we spend our entire life never enjoying and being happy. If we once experience life as a whole and understand the importance of life, we can spend it wisely and happily.

These were my causes to live, but a human will have a cause/reason for everything.

In conclusion, we should find causes, analyse, think, and act on them daily. We shall indeed observe a change. Therefore, think of reasons every day. 

Veda Varishta Marrivada
Grade 5 Hyderabad Public School Begumpet

Please listen to my blog post.

Advice From An Owl - Rishona Chopra

Hello, my dear friends! I am an owl. Through all these years, I have been sitting right outside your window, looking and observing you. My family is out there, hearing each of your foolish conversations and looking out for those creative inventions of yours. Speaking of inventions, I must say, your inventions clearly show your witty evil brain. First, it was those nets and then it was those obnoxious guns. Why, do you have nothing better to do than to kill us?

Moving on, as I told you I have noticed you and I believe it's time I give you some inputs. First off, you humans speak too much. It is much better to listen trust me. Wherever you go, you keep talking; half of it is absolute nonsense. And even if you talk, you forget to hear. Many of you just hear the other person and don't really listen. You just stay quiet waiting for your turn to talk and running through your mind what you're going to say. My! That is quite disrespectful, isn't it! 

Second of all, you have made your life quite difficult. All you do is practically sleep all day. Nothing like what we do! You have robots doing your work, the autocorrect correcting your spellings and online dictionaries to tell you the meaning. And don't even get me started on your means of entertainment. Our owl community presents an entire dance for entertainment and all you do is just turn on your television and watch some overly dramatic shows on it. How many of you, go to watch classical dances for entertainment or have a cosy family night playing charades and cards? 

Television is quite fascinating, I must say. I also watch it from your balcony when the curtains are open but it's important to spend time with your family doing something fun together. 

Last but not least, you should always be prepared. Most of you are not prepared for change. Here's one owl rule you must know - Always be alert for your predator. And your predator is almighty change. It is something some of you never adapt to but remember change in constant and if there is no change life would be rather dull and boring!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Two Girls On A Mic ▶️

Our script is ready and we will be recording this Saturday. We are doing the first podcast on mental well-being and Christa Ma’am joins and tells more about My Guide Inside.

Tune in every month 

Oshi and Simar, Gyanshree School

To be human... - Rishona Chopra

Humans. That term rings a bell, doesn't it? What does it really mean?

Scientifically, humans are the most common and widespread species of primate.
Psychologically, humans are complex beings, and their behaviour and mental attitude result from interaction within and between their internal biological, psychological and social systems.

There are several definitions of "human", which are perhaps countless. I believe that "human" is just a term for creatures with two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, two eyes, one nose, and two ears that can talk and express their words clearly. Apart from our distinct physical features, we are like any other living organism.  

There is so much we can learn from the smallest of creatures. Ants, for example. They work diligently in an organised manner and are quite industrious. They never fight with each other and don't interfere with each other's work. They simply do what they do. Even sheep, they only care about getting food and water. They don't realise that they're walking a new road every day. They probably don't see that the fields are different and the seasons change as long as we give them food and water. (lines from The Alchemist).

 This shows that sometimes we humans too, don't realise that every day is a new adventure, a new beginning to relish. We are so busy in our work that we don't care to look out the window and see the world's beauty. 

You might think that animals don't have feelings, but we do, so we are superior to them. But, have you ever been in the mind of an animal? Probably not, so you have no idea if they have feelings and thoughts too. And if you have been in the mind of  an animal, bird, or plant, tell me what you saw in the comments below!

It is right when we say humans are complex. Everything is perfectly laid out, but we unnecessarily make our  life complicated and create issues. We get puzzles to solve, telling us that the boy has to reach a box of cookies through a complex maze. We can just directly take the boy to the jar without really going inside the maze but going out of it! Isn't that so much simpler? 

We say animals' life is simple, but we don't realise that so is ours. We divide ourselves foolishly into castes and religions. In my opinion, it is nothing but our blindness to the truth. We separate ourselves based on different "gods", but there is really just one god, a power that guides us. "My guide inside", as some of us would call it. I wouldn't comment more on that but this is my opinion. 

Let me ask you a question, or why don't you ask yourself a question. What is your purpose on Earth? To get a good job, earn money, be a good citizen, be a good child, and be a good student? You would probably quote all your roles as a reply. I believe that your only purpose is to do good. I think we all have forgotten that very purpose and are physical humans but mentally we are not. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Our broken relationship with Nature - Rishona Chopra

Nature is all around us. The magnificent trees, the lush green forests, the animals and the birds. And in fact, we humans are nature. We are not a part of it, but we are nature. 

Nature heals us. By this, I don't mean just the trees and forests that heal us. Our loved ones, friends and parents care for and support us, standing selflessly as our backbone. 

Human's greatest enemy is ego. Is it the fuel for anger, jealousy, greed and whatnot? For desire, we fight wars. Why? For a mere piece of land. That very land belongs to none of us. Countries fight for the mountain areas that come into our country. But, in reality, that land is neither ours nor theirs. It is nature which has no possession. We don't have the owners we belong to, and neither does the land. 

Without realizing it, we hurt nature for a silly reason. Amid these wars, aren't oceans and mountains being affected? 

We greedily fight for possession, but do we take that possession with us when we die? One day, it all has to be lost. 

Plants, humans, animals and birds are all nature. We are one and are meant to live in harmony. But we have all broken ourselves into different categories. We are told to live in peace and harmony, yet we have created a broken relationship with one another. 

The beauty of our world lies not in our planet's biodiversity but in the harmony that we create with one another. 

Due to the broken relationship, neither are satisfied; neither are we nor are the plants and animals. 

It is high time we fix this relationship by realizing that ego is our greatest enemy and has ruined so much for us. 

We must cure the wounds we have caused and prevent more from being created. 

Listen to my podcast.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The Change - Reveda Bhatt

A point in my life that brought out my inner strength and made me believe that “I am capable” was what people hailed me as a fighter, one even I didn’t know of. Rolling the rim of my life back to the start of 2019, when I was a child scared of all imaginary beasts and darkness, only after I went into darkness did the change take place-When I went into a COMA. 

This was due to an accident my Mom and I met, wherein Mom was injured, and mine, getting back alive, doubted. It was like this typical suspenseful thriller going on! One day, I got better but could get worse the other! But COMA in English, too, refers nearly to a comma, which has it saying, “There’s more!” So, I fought back, knowing it was not the end. It wasn’t before maybe 3 weeks that I opened my eyes.

Surgeries, injuries, follow-ups-I saw all that. In comparison, if I were still that child, afraid, I wouldn’t have made it so, you know, life puts you down, but you’ve got to stand up because those who do-they come out with the title, “A hero,” the other case, I won’t define. 

Now, when I recovered fully, everybody praised me. I realised how precious this life is and started honouring every moment because who knows what’s next? I fought the dark, death and came out, and if it weren’t for it, even I wouldn’t have known who I really am! 

Recovering from any injury just feels like a piece of cake when you’ve got scars on your body, well, I wouldn’t even call them scars but bravery marks, reminding me each time, “You can do it!” 

The incident here is what I really feel thankful for because it showed me the light. Never in my life had I thought that I would be hailed as a hero because everybody fights, but only a few come out victorious.

Reveda Bhatt

The Aryan School

A memorable moment - Rishona Chopra

 

Sometimes, all we need is just to talk to someone, all alone, telling them about everyone and everything. And I need that time every day. I absolutely love it when I have interesting long conversations with my mother. It is when I can reflect and listen to how my mother's day went. 

With no doubt, my favourite time of the day is when I have a long talk with my mother. We discuss many things, from how the day went to the people who irritated us. Often we find ourselves fighting with each other and then, the next minute, laughing and enjoying ourselves. 

I absolutely love and cherish this time; there is so much to say and tell that you just can't stop. While on some rare days, there is nothing to say, but sitting together makes me so happy. No matter where we are, we always have this time with each other, whether before sleeping or during the day during our morning walk. This is definitely the best time of the day for me. 

We had a long deep conversation a few days ago. We both sat on the floor with support from the bed. We talked about how people irritate us and complained about our personal issues. It was something so enriching for me and yet so enjoyable. I genuinely wished that time would never end. 

There are a few lines from a song that I would like to quote:

"For all the places I have been, I'm no place without you
 If I could fly, then I would know
 What life looks like from up above and down below."

This song is written by a father to his daughter; the song means to say that the little moments are the big ones. The father has been to many places, but what matters is where our family is. 

These moments I have with my mother are priceless and hold quite a meaning in my heart. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

I am responsible for - Aria Gupta

I take full responsibility for whatever mistake I have made in the past, even if it's just a spelling mistake. For me, they are not something to regret but to accept. We all make mistakes; there is no such thing as a 'perfect person'. The good thing about mistakes is that they can teach us essential values that nobody else will.

Our class was recently assigned a group project to do in Science. My group decided to make the task so fancy that we couldn't complete it in time, thus getting a big, fat zero. I learnt that we should make things easy and beautiful simultaneously. Even though this error will probably affect my grade, it doesn't matter as long as I learnt something.

It's beautiful if you make an error like this; everybody makes mistakes.

Aria Gupta
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

I am responsible for... - Rishona Chopra

There are quite a few things we have control over. We often try to grasp something we cannot control. We notice and try to change others, their habits and choices. When, in reality, we only have control over ourselves. Another aspect is understanding that we are responsible for ourselves. Our decisions are purely ours. 

Often, we try to blame others for our reactions. If I submit my project late, I blame the internet, but was it really the internet's fault that it stopped working and that my project was lost? Should I have been more proactive and worked on an offline platform or saved my work?

I have also noticed that I start blaming others for my own mistakes unconsciously without realising it. 

When we get sick, do we not blame the weather for changing? Do we think that our immunity should have been stronger? Do we think that this weather change is caused by us humans only? Most of us blame the weather as if it is controlled by someone, not us. 

Life is like a book, and we are the author. The book takes a turn of events, but it all happens before the author, and the conclusion is the author's choice. Several characters in that book influence and help in the formation of the story, but it is the author's thinking that makes the difference. 

I am responsible for whatever I do and any action I take. I am responsible for myself. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

One Life At A Time - Reveda Bhatt

We limit ourselves. We bind ourselves. We let the world define us.

Why?

Is that a right they have?

No

That's a right you gave them.

People say, "You only live once."

Then, again, they comment, "Don't waste your time doing stupid things."

Well, how can they declare what you do is stupid?

If you accept that, how can you believe what they say is right?

Don't let the world define you, sweetheart. It's your job, it's your duty, it's you who'll do that. You know, there's more to discover in this "small world"; mainly, it's you who you need to discover! Those who think that they know themselves, well, they might if ever they've set out on an expedition to look for the meaning of their lives. The problem is when we allow all that others think or say to get to our hearts and make the blocks. You know how to reach a destination; there is more than a single way-if they tried out one, which turned out unfavourably, then you make another.

Mind blocks are just what limit us!

It's in your control to-

keep them if you wish to have a "common" fulfilling life

OR

go above and beyond to make it a memorable one.

One step at a time. One life at a time.

Go crazy. Go mad. One life, baby.

Live it large!

The Wheels Of Learning Never Stop Turning! - Rishona Chopra

Yes, it is rightly said that the wheels of learning never stop turning!

Participating in the My Guide Inside program has enriched my thinking and perspective on several things. 

"Mind + Consciousness + Thought = Reality" is the base of this book.

Universal Mind is the source of all intelligence, and Universal Consciousness, allows us to be aware of our existence. And Universal Thought, which guides us through the world.

There are several learnings I took with me from the MGI Pilot Program. I think we can all agree on how each session had its own beauty and importance.I am going to be sharing a few of the key points I think are quite vital to understand and know about.

I learnt how we all are just lost thinkers. Our imagination is limited to what we know. Our thoughts and actions are based on the knowledge we know. It is vital to break that boundary and think beyond it. To add perspective to every situation. In any case, we think only from our perspective and stick to what we know. If we consider ourselves lost thinkers, looking at each view and reflecting on the day correctly, we might find peace and happiness with everyone. 

We all have our own separate reality, our own thoughts and our own world. All of us face differences of opinion at some point or another other, but it is vital to understand another person's perspective. Just like, we think what we know is correct, the other person feels the same. Instead, if we believe, "My thoughts are just a perspective, they aren't the best, and perhaps I should listen to others' thoughts and then evaluate." Things would get a lot better. 

I personally loved the line "Life Is Like A Piano". When I started playing the piano, I wanted to learn to play my favourite song, but it is essential to be patient and take a few steps back, learn and then strive to play the music to its best. Similarly, in life, we have to be patient and learn from others and listen to their thoughts and wait instead of directly jumping on the result. In this way, we can do a task to its full potential. 

Learning is something that never stops at each point in life, we learn something new and exciting, and at My Guide Inside, I learnt quite a lot and will continue to discover more!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Competition With Yourself - Reveda Bhatt

Competition leads to progress. No one doubts it. But is it with your peers?

No, it is not.

This is because each day, you need to become a better version of no one but yourself. Everything you do is to fight against the 'you' of yesterday and become a better version today. Everyone is at a war of survival -well, even against others but mainly against yourself - but for progress, we need to believe that we are not perfect but capable enough to become better.

Know that from the minute you were born, you are put up on a boat across a vast ocean-people might help you get on it at the start, but it is you who has to paddle across, facing every tide and making sure you do not sink until the end of it!

BE IMPERFECTLY PERFECT!

Image from the pnghut.com

The Elephants’ Hope! - Rishona Chopra

Comic strip by Rishona

We have made the animals' life so tough. They should feel safe and happy in this world too! Hope is perhaps the only thing that helps them get by. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

No One Hits Harder Than LIfe - Tenzin Norsang.

It was during the monsoon season when heaven was raging with thunder and lightning and blessing the crops of Kharif. The children of Dehradun went to school like always, cursing the DM for not granting them a holiday despite the bad weather. Everyone in the city was having a hard time due to the weather, but the ones suffering the most were our School Football team.

Source https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soccer_(PSF).png

Everyone in the school, including the teachers, got excited and exhilarated when they heard the announcement. The tournament was, after all, being organised after a break of two long years. The SJA family put a lot of faith in us and wished us every luck whenever they passed by us during training. All this attention really has a positive impact on us. Our minds were being pressurised and narrowed. It was as if the responsibility of keeping up the name of the high school had fallen upon our shoulders. It was as if a heavy load had been thrust on our chest and would only disappear if we won the competition.

The final day was arriving nearer and faster than we all had anticipated. For the first time, I realised and noticed that time really flies. We were putting our hearts and souls into practice. We were training so vigorously that we would usually become exhausted and worn out. I was finding no time for studies at all. It was like I only went to school for practices and football matches. Studies had become our second priority then. Many of the players wished just to pass the upcoming examination. Each of us had one ambition, motive and dream: to win the tournament, become champions and bring the trophy home ( our school stood runners-up the last time the tournament was organised). Practice matches were scheduled exclusively to gain confidence and improve our coordination. We won most of the games and felt confident whenever we thought about the tournament. Everyone was determined to lift the trophy.

Finally, the day arrived. I hardly woke up from sleep that morning when I wore my jersey and started packing my kit. It was sunny, and I thanked God for the excellent weather. That morning, I first checked how I looked in my new jersey. The colour of the jersey was bright red this year, which clearly matched our team's spirit and mindset (burning with the fire of desire to win and only win). The school's logo was printed in colour, and one could clearly read the words written over it, "LABORARE EST ORARE", meaning Work is Worship. My name and jersey number were printed in big, bold letters, but unfortunately, the printer got my name wrong. Instead of 'Tenzin', my name was published as 'Tenzen'. Well, it didn't matter much to me. At least I am in the school team, I thought.

It was my first time going to school in an informal dress, so I set out to school a bit early that day. I felt a mixed burst of emotions as I stepped inside the school. I gathered every ounce of courage, hid my anxiousness under the layers of excitement and exhilaration, and continued walking towards the sports room. Tents were pitched on the school ground for the visitors to rest and change. Everyone from the team had already arrived and was so engrossed in their phones that they did not notice me coming. I went inside the sports room and took blessings from my coach. He patted my shoulder and told me that we would surely win. With this saying reeling in my head, I went to change and got ready in no time.

The school slowly filled itself with students giving sideways glances at the field. The other schools, including Wynberg Allen and St. George's College, had started popping up on our premises. The tournament was about to begin. We were having a tough time practising in the rain. The ground would sometimes become so muddy and wet because of the rain that many of us would slip or stagger whenever we tried to chase or pass the ball.

On top of that, we would always end up soaked and wet and caught a cold. We tried to persuade our coach, Mr Thapa, to not have practice during such weather and would try to find every possible excuse to give, but our coach was never ready to agree to our terms. And I would have done the same thing too if I was in his place because in about a week or two, our school, St. Joseph's Academy (SJA), was going to organise the Inter-School Keogh Memorial Football Tournament, a tournament which is hosted by our school every year, a tournament which is very prestigious, dear and special to us Josephites and a tournament which is named after the first Principal of our school. 

Our coach instructed us to circle up before the tournament officially began. It was noticeable that Mr Thapa was very electrified and elevated by how he spoke to us. We were told about our team's strategy and formation for about ten minutes. In the starting eleven, we had Spandan as the goalkeeper, Param( Captain), Shivansh, Bhandari and Bhasin in defence and Gogoi, Mehta and myself in the midfield. In the attack, we had Shashwat, Krishna and Devansh. The desire to win was coursing through every inch of our bodies since this was the moment we had all been training and waiting for.

The fixture for the day had been updated by the school. We were allotted group D, including Shri Ram School and St. Thomas College. With tough competition, we managed to qualify for the semifinals, which was to take place the next day. Everyone was happy and appreciated our team's success, and the day ended with jubilant shouts. The four teams that qualified for the semis included Wyn Berg Allen, Missouri, Indian Public School (IPS), Doon Presidency School (DPS), and SJA. 

The sky was apparent as crystals, and the blazing sun showered its rays over the valley of Dehradun, a perfect day to play the tournament's final matches. We were up against Wynberg Allen School. With a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, we got through the finals by defeating them 3-2. Although the match was very intense, we appreciated our opponent and thanked them for giving us such a wonderful experience. On the other hand, IPS demolished DPS completely as they won 5-0 and qualified. The final match was scheduled at 12:00, and we had a whole hour in hand. We roamed around the school and found our friends bunking classes just to talk to us about the matches. We enjoyed our time until our coach summoned us to the sports room. The final game of the tournament and the day were about to be kicked off.

The team gathered around for one last group discussion. Our captain, Param, was filled with cheer, enthusiasm and energy. It was my first final match with the school team, and my coach was expecting high from me. I was very nervous and afraid of the outcome, but I did not want to let my coach down at the time. He had been my pillar of support and friend during the training.

 
The team's spirit was so high that the blue sky seemed very low. We lined up outside the sports room and started marching towards the field. The seats were filled with students from our school, and the playground was packed. Just by looking at the crowd, Nervousness crept through my body, making it numb and involuntary. It was as if my soul had left my body for a moment. The last time the tournament was organised, primary school students were privileged to watch the final match, not the whole Senior and Middle school. Even the teachers had seated themselves among the students in the audience. I expected this to be different. The Sports Prefects of respective Houses were on the stage along with the chief guest and our vice principal. Away from the crowd, the IPS team was having a last-minute discussion with their coach.

The Referee called both the teams up front, after which followed the tradition of shaking hands with the rivals and the referees. I had hardly stepped a foot on the ground when my coach pulled me out of the group. 

He said, " Do not take the pressure and Do not feel nervous." 

I nodded silently and walked on to take my position. The whistle blew, and the match kicked off. There were shouts of SJA from every corner of the crowd, but they failed to positively impact me. My mind was totally pressurised, consumed and instantly went blank. I was physically present but mentally absent.

The fever of the final match was on but not for me. I ran around the ground like a mad horse let loose from the stable. Whenever I got the ball, I would either lose or miss passing it. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat and hear my coach screaming at me because of my minor mistakes, costing me a lot for the team. It was ten against eleven, for I was totally out of the game, but the team was still holding on well without my involvement until the opposing team got a free kick near the box. The taller players made a wall between the goalposts and the ball. The whistle blew, and the ball came so fast that we hardly had a second to react. It went over the wall. Param jumped and tried to save the ball from the goal. Instead, it got deflected and found the back of the net. We were 1 nil down.

The crowd was silenced by the celebration of the IPS team. The dreams of winning slowly faded from our minds like the morning mist that disappeared before the sun. The game resumed, and the cheers of SJA filled the stadium again. I was useless for the rest of the first half, and angry shouts and screams kept coming from the bench. Mr Thapa was too stressed out, thanks to my poor performance. The first half was almost going to end, and we already felt defeated, but luck was on our side as we won a penalty. Param came forward to take the penalty and scored. Our team was back in the game. He equalised the score and ignited the fire of hope in everyone's heart. We still had time to take over the competition.

The whistle blew, and it was half-time. We went off the pitch and seated ourselves on the benches. Volunteers for the tournament showed up with water and glucose in their hands. Mr Thapa again pulled me out and said in a calm voice:

"Why are you getting so tense and nervous? Is it because of the spectators?"

I did not answer the question.

"Listen, beta, the opponent players will not slaughter you. They are humans like us. Are they carrying weapons in their arms, because of which you are getting scared? Chill out, you have the quality, boy, and I want you to show it to them." He said.

I simply nodded and sat between my teammates. The second half was the same as the first half. Actually, it was much worse. For the whole time after the second half, I thought of when I would be substituted, but the call never came. Our team conceded two more goals and lost the final match with the scoreline 3-1. I was pissed off, depressed, sad, weakened and mentally destabilised. Not only had I let my teammates and coach down but also the entire school due to my lack of involvement in the game. The IPS lifted the winner's trophy and celebrated like the prisoners released. When the award ceremony ended, I ran off to hide from the others since I was ashamed of my performance. I was emotionally low and felt like crying, but as a boy, I had to control the tears. It was the worst day of my life. The day ended with sadness and dejection on my face. 

I didn't want to go to the school for the next few weeks because I did not want students backbiting and talking about my gameplay in the final match whenever I passed through the corridors. I tried my best to avoid my coach and my teammates. I began isolating myself away from them. The feelings were too heavy for me to handle. One day, my coach asked if I wanted to play in an upcoming tournament. I rejected the offer and told him I still had not gotten over my poor performance in the final match. He understood me and consoled me.

"Winning and losing is part of a game. Winners are the ones who do not win immediately but definitely. Life is a roller coaster ride; you will take time to understand it. Learn from your past mistakes, and I hope you will start coming for practice."

He went off and disappeared in the mass of students. I didn't understand much of what he said, but I gradually understood what he meant. 

Sylvester Stallone, an American actor, once said,
 " No one will hit you harder than life itself. It doesn't matter how hard you hit back. It's about how much you can take, keep fighting, how much you can suffer and keep moving forward. That's how you win."

Every winner was once a loser. With this thought in mind, one will thrive and strive in life. Your mindset and mentality should be strong to deal with life. Overcoming your weaknesses and learning from your mistakes will determine your success in life. 

When I understood what my coach meant, I started attending practices and participating in other tournaments and stood as runners-up again in one of them, but I didn't lose hope. I am still on the school's team, and everyone is trying their best to achieve their highest potential. I have shared my failure with you, readers, hoping that you will be ready the next time you fail and know how to deal with it. 

There is only one difference between losers and winners: their mentality. The next time life hits you, welcome it with open arms because it will show you where you stand and where you must improve yourself.

Tenzin Norsang
Pestalozzi Children's Village India